Fightin Phils edge Thunder

It was a good start to what’s shaping up as a long haul for the Reading Fightin Phils.

The Fightins kicked off a five-game set with Trenton Thursday by pulling out a 5-4 victory at Arm & Hammer Park. They saw the Thunder (41-44) erase a three-run deficit through the seventh inning, then got a brief two-run lead in the top of the eighth only to see their Eastern League hosts score again in the bottom of the frame.

But Mike Nesseth’s shutout pitching over the final 1-1/3 innings proved enough for Reading (38-47). Nesseth fanned two in that span to get his third save of the season, nailing down the win for Juan Sosa (2-2) after Tyler Knigge allowed the Thunder to pull even in the bottom of the seventh.

Jesse Biddle gave the Phils a solid six innings of mound work, racking up nine strikeouts while yielding three hits and one walk. Sosa spotted Trenton its final run in his 1-1/3 innings of relief, benefiting from an eight-hit Reading plate attack highlighted by Derrick Mitchell’s solo home run and doubles from Tyler Henson and Edgar Duran.

Henson went 2-for-4 as the Fightins’ lone multiple-hit performer. All but two of Reading’s players hit safely at least once, with Mitchell and Albert Cartwright each scoring pairs of runs.

The Reading Fightin Phils continue their series with Trenton through Monday, with starting times of 7:05 p.m. (Friday, Saturday), 1:05 p.m. (Sunday) and 12:05 p.m. (Monday). Following a two-day All-Star Game break, they kick off a seven-game homestand with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Thunder.